A JOURNEY TO FINMARK. 17 



of the Reipasvara, but we found only a few wild bushes of it 

 in Ejbydal and at the foot of the Skaaddavara. In the 

 gardens this shrub grew to such a height and thickness as I 

 never before saw equalled. Juniper (Jiiniperus communis) 

 grew principally on the sandy bank behind the Skofvoged's 

 house, and also abundantly on the steep river banks ; likewise 

 on the Skaaddavara at a height of 900 feet. Besides these, 

 several species of willow (Salix) were extraordinarily gene- 

 rally distributed and plentiful ; among them were probably 

 fi'om 10 to 15 species. Only a few of them grew in the 

 marshes to a height of 10 feet ; most of them remained quite 

 small and low. Most striking was the Salix herhacea, L., 

 which raised itself hardly an inch above the ground, and on 

 the Skaaddavara and Reipasvara often clothed large spaces 

 with its green leaves, especially where the snow had just 

 melted away. On the parts of the river bed thrown up by 

 inundations, consisting of gravel and sand, grew rather plen- 

 tifully a low species of tamarisk {Tamarix Germanica), 

 attaining a height of from 5 to 7 feet. Of the species of 

 Ruhus there were at least four, of which Rubus Chamoemorus 

 (the Norwegian Multebar) was the most plentiful, and oc- 

 curred on nearly all heathy mosses in plenty. Towards the 

 middle of June large patches of such marshes were covered 

 w^ith the white blossoms of this Ruhus, and at the end of 

 July we already found the first berries ripe. This Multebar 

 is a true blessing of Arctic Norway, and is esteemed by the 

 Norwegians above all other kinds of berries. Rubus Idceus 

 (Raspberry) grew sparingly in Ejbydal, but produced no ripe 

 fruit there. Another Rubus had a very beautiful rose-coloured 

 blossom, yet its very savoury fruit rarely ripens there; it 

 grew principally on dry grassy places. 



Widely distributed were the four species of Vaccinium. 

 V. Ulicjinosum was plentiful in most of the heath-mosses, 



1864. c 



